KARACHI: Signs of torture were found on the decomposed bodies of four individuals recovered from a pit in Karachi’s Mai Kolachi area, police and medical officials said on Saturday. The bodies were discovered in a bushy area within the jurisdiction of the Docks police station late on Friday night.
According to police, the victims included two males and two females. Initial assessments suggest the bodies were four to five days old and were found buried in a shallow pit, raising serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
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Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the victims appeared to be between the ages of 10 and 40 years. She confirmed that all four bodies bore multiple injury marks indicating torture before death.
One victim, a boy aged around 13 to 14 years, sustained injuries to the head, face and neck. Another boy, approximately 10 years old, showed injuries around the throat, according to medico-legal findings.
Dr Syed added that a teenage girl aged about 14 to 15 years also had multiple injuries to her head, face and neck. The fourth victim, a woman believed to be around 40 years old, suffered severe injuries to the skull.
The bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi where medico-legal formalities were completed. Relevant samples have been collected to test for possible intoxication and sexual violence, the police surgeon said.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said the identities of the victims had not yet been established. The bodies have been moved to an Edhi morgue, where they will remain until relatives come forward for identification.
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He added that no CCTV footage was available from the area where the bodies were found, complicating the investigation. An FIR has not yet been registered, as police are waiting for family members to approach authorities.
If no one claims the bodies, a case will be registered on behalf of the state. Police believe the injuries may have been inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon such as an axe, though the final cause of death will be determined after autopsy reports. Investigators suspect the victims may belong to the same family, raising the possibility of an honour-related crime.